Robot Chef

[Mike_2545]

Well you seem very determined with this project. Have you thought of a name for it yet?


I have one you can use "The Botulism 2000"

People will be dieing to use it.

You could call it the "Food Bot" for short.

 

[flames33]

easy first then step it up

**broken link removed**
OK what about the other veggies, meats, and liquids. Rice, corn starch, flour, suggar, syrups, grease and oils.

For my prototype, i'm gonna keep it simple then i'm going to step it up to cooking more meals then i'm goin to make it so it can make meals that have sugar, meat rice and just about everyingredient you mentioned.

 

[flames33]

Well you seem very determined with this project. Have you thought of a name for it yet?


I have one you can use "The Botulism 2000"

People will be dieing to use it.

Ahh i think i'll call it RoboChef 1.0

 

[3v0]

Seriously. It is going to be very hard to keep it stocked with fresh ingrediants. Come join us in chat if you want addition input/abuse

 

[slutty22]

That sounds very interesting!!

 

[Menticol]

A much more easier project would be an automated coctel maker. At least the alcoholic brevages are easier to make (and clean from the wrecked machine). hard thing is the "Shaken, not stirred." Stir is easier.

Offcourse, extreme valve-solenoid-microcontroller-nuclear energy knowedge is required, I have zero experience with them

 

[flames33]

patent

I hope you patented that prior to posting it !

do you mean the wheel for the robot? or the robot?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

I patented fire and cheese.

 

[Mr RB]

I patented "Stupidity"... So everyone applying for a US patent now puts money in MY pocket.

Seriously a few days back I was googling for "7-segment display drivers" or something and came across a US patent for "using a segmented display where the 7 segments light up to make numbers for the purpose of displaying the floor an elevator is on" or some crap, the patent was GRANTED and in 2003... You gotta be kidding me.

Patents are so lacking in credibility these days, admitting you own a patent is almost an embarassment... Like admitting you used to go to work wearing sideburns, flares and platform shoes.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Don Lancaster's case against patents plus the rest of his site makes for excellent reading.
Guru's Lair: Patent Avoidance Library

 

[3v0]

We had a wall of patents where I used to work. The way I recall it is the only time they came into play was when our competition tried to sue us for stomping on their wall of patents. Sort of a cold war.

Mostly they were useless. Attempting to enforce them would just burn resources better put into development.

 

[Hayato]

I patented "Stupidity"... So everyone applying for a US patent now puts money in MY pocket.

Seriously a few days back I was googling for "7-segment display drivers" or something and came across a US patent for "using a segmented display where the 7 segments light up to make numbers for the purpose of displaying the floor an elevator is on" or some crap, the patent was GRANTED and in 2003... You gotta be kidding me.

Patents are so lacking in credibility these days, admitting you own a patent is almost an embarassment... Like admitting you used to go to work wearing sideburns, flares and platform shoes.

There was a guy, about 100 years ago, who patented glasses for chickens.

 

[flames33]

Optrex F-51554NF-FW-AA 123K2863

thats what im gonnna use for choosing from the menu.

 

[Mickster]

The selection of display is quite low down on your list at the moment...

You should probably start simply by writing down the numerous processes required, the actions necessary to monitor/perform them, then re-order the processes in a logical manner.

Draw up a flow-chart of the project, separating it into modules that can be worked upon individually.

Make a list of inputs/outputs required including display driver lines, sensor & actuator lines, push-button & indicator lines, along with spares for the inevitable extras that creep in or get overlooked, then select an appropriate controller/processor. (Choose a controller/processor with far more I/O than suspected for prototyping, then scale down when close to production)

Work toward a prototype laid out in a linear fashion, like a conveyor-belt, where each step operates in sequence, then work toward reducing the assembly into a more compact footprint and perform multi-tasking......

.....If the carrots have entered the chopping stage, the potatoes should have been loaded from the hopper, onto the transport mechanism, ready to enter the chopper as soon as the carrots have left.

As mentioned previously........DON'T FORGET A CLEANING PROCESS.

 

[flames33]

Thanks, but how would I make each individual type of food go into a different pot? Is it possible to make the the tube move so it could be directed into different pots? Then when it was one meal you were choosing(a mix of veggies) it would stay in one place. Making the tube movable would save alot of space, I was just gonna make different tubes for each ingredient......you smart.

 

[Mickster]

... I was just gonna make different tubes for each ingredient.

That's the idea, maybe I confused you...

Think of a vending machine, with your ingredients in different hoppers/trays etc, your menu is programmed to select each ingredient in turn and allow a pre-determined amount to drop onto whatever transport mechanism you use.

You could have a funnel-shaped hopper, with a sort of roller underneath that has a trough in it that holds, let's say, a single carrot or 1oz of peas or whatever and rotate the roller 360 degrees, which drops the ingredient and then reloads the trough...want 2 carrots?....rotate 720 degrees and so on.

You could have ingredients, once through the cutting process, directed into one pot, or different pots if you wish. Have a look on Youtube for videos of conveyor belts, food processing machinery etc. for ideas.

A couple of examples:
YouTube - Conveyor
YouTube - Cheesecake Production Lines

 

[JimB]

Will the robot chef have a voice synthesier so that it can go around F'ing and Blinding like Gordon Ramsay?

JimB

 

[Mickster]

Will the robot chef have a voice synthesier so that it can go around F'ing and Blinding like Gordon Ramsay?

JimB

No Jim, that 'function' will be supplied by the operator when returning to find the ingredients on the floor & sprayed up the walls.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Why not try a build a "simple" rice cooker. There's alot of fuzzy magic going on inside the high end ones, much easier to build than a robotic chef (I'm assuming this is a school project) and still a challenge if you want it to make perfect rice. (not as easy as it sounds).
If you succeed in that (and many large companies haven't) then add an automatic rice feeder and water supply. A mechanical mixer and a rice cleaner. Then try to automatically determine the type of rice being used and adjust automatically.
Drop in remote internet access and you'll have a real money maker.

After all if you cant make a perfect rice cooker you have zero chance of building the far far more complex robotic chef. After all your robotic chef would have to make rice wouldn't it?
**broken link removed**

 

[flames33]

grrrrrrrrr................It aint a school project but, it seems you are right. I'll try and build a rice cooker.......That can be turned on from the internet!!!! $_$